Buffering gets winkers for Manikato Stakes

Queensland trainer Robert Heathcote's phone has run hot since Buffering's Manikato Stakes win and he has had to cut a few people short.

He was at it again when a Melbourne number came up on his phone as they were about to jump at Eagle Farm on Wednesday.

''I just answered and said I'll call you back,'' Heathcote said. ''About 10 minutes later the same bloke rang back and said, 'Mr Heathcote, it's the stewards here.'

''They were just ringing to find out why we had replaced the blinkers with the winkers on Solzhenitsyn after he won a group 1.''

Solzhenitsyn had his familiar hood on when he won the Toorak Handicap three weeks ago but a tip from jockey Nash Rawiller led Heathcote to go with the gear change for the Mackinnon Stakes.

''I was happy that they asked because the punters need to know what is going on,'' Heathcote said.

''I told him that I had done it on the advice of Nash, one of the best jockeys in the country, because he felt Solz didn't need the blinkers now and winkers would work just as well.

''It is a hard race to win, the Mackinnon, and this might be the edge we need to knock it off.''

Heathcote has a team of three in Melbourne with mare Fire Up Fifi the only one not to have won a group 1 this spring. She gets her chance in the Myer Classic at Flemington on Saturday.

The grey six-year-old was dominant winning at group 2 level over 1400 metres at Flemington two starts back before hitting the line hard from back in the field to run fifth behind Red Tracer in the Tristarc Stakes on Caulfield Cup day.

''I'm happy to be taking Red Tracer on with her at a mile,'' Heathcote said. ''Red Tracer has been a wonderful mare and what she did in Brisbane last winter and since has been incredible. I have utmost respect for her. She is the one to beat but she might be vulnerable at 1600 metres and I know Fifi loves that trip.''

This material is subject to copyright and any unauthorised use, copying or mirroring is prohibited.